East Carolina's Season Sweet And Bittersweet

David Teel

November 09, 1999|By DAVID TEEL Daily Press

College football fans should be drooling. Here we are in November's second week with the national championship and Heisman races as chaotic as ever. On the horizon loom annual epics between Florida and Florida State, Army and Navy (the 100th rendition), and Harvard and Yale.

But regardless of what transpires during the next six weeks, no matter the heroics, drama and police reports, the sport's feel-good story of '99 has been determined.

East Carolina.

The Pirates are 7-2 and ranked 24th nationally by the Associated Press. But as anyone with a pulse and cable realizes, that ain't the half of it.

Marcellus Harris, the team's starting H-back and a graduate of Ferguson High, uses two words to describe the season. Crazy. Emotional.

Calamitous and magical fit, too.

The season began with promising victories against West Virginia, Duke and South Carolina. Despite that trio's woes, bullying teams from the Big East, ACC and Southeastern Conference spoke volumes about East Carolina and little ol' Conference USA.

But the Pirates derived little, or no, satisfaction from their 3-0 start. They were marooned in a Columbia, S.C., Ramada Inn, their Greenville, N.C., community devastated by Hurricane Floyd.

"We were mad at the world," Harris says.

Who could blame them? They were helpless, relegated to watching television news footage of raw sewage and dead livestock floating through towns throughout eastern North Carolina.

Fights broke out among teammates, Harris says. They were tired of hotel rooms and tired of each other. The fear of the unknown was overwhelming. No one knew if their belongings back home were secure.

"It was like being in jail almost," Harris says. "We weren't thinking about football for a couple of days."

Oh, yeah. Football. The Pirates' most daunting opponent, Miami, just happened to be next on the schedule.

The game was supposed to be played Sept. 25 in Greenville. But that was impossible. The town was a mess. Roads in and out were impassable.

Strangely enough, East Carolina's most bitter rival was in a position to help. North Carolina State's football team was on the road that week, and the school offered its Carter-Finley Stadium to the Pirates.

"Since it was real bad at home, we didn't think there would be too many people at the game," says Harris, among the team's best pass-catchers.

The Pirates thought wrong. East Carolina and its fans needed one another now more than ever, and nearly 46,000 made the trek to Raleigh. If only for an evening, perhaps, they could forget Hurricane Floyd and revel in their football team.

One problem: The Miami Hurricanes. For for 21/2 quarters they cuffed around the Pirates, building a 23-3 lead.

Then the magic started. Quarterback David Garrard and the offense solved Miami's defense; linebacker Pernell Griffin, end Jeff Kerr and the defense suffocated Miami's offense.

Final score: East Carolina 27, Miami 23. The Game of the Year.

"Our fans tore down the goalposts," Harris says. "It was like a huge sigh of relief for everyone in eastern North Carolina."

But then came the sobering return to Greenville. Harris' teammates and buddies from southside Hampton Roads, receiver Arnie Powell and safety Travis Mazyck, lost everything. Harris and roommate Derrick Gamble, an offensive lineman, were lucky. The floods only ruined the furniture in their second-floor apartment, allowing them to salvage clothes and belongings.

"There were mosquitoes everywhere," Harris recalls. "The town just stunk all over."

Harris, the son of Linda and Rev. Marcellus Harris, turned to his family and faith. He talked to his parents almost daily and sought the counsel of Chuck Young, the team's spiritual adviser.

Folks throughout the state bonded (like a sports team?) to help one another, and slowly, some sense of normalcy returned. Harris and Gamble moved to another apartment, as did dozens of teammates. Electricity was restored and classes resumed.

So did football. The Pirates ran their record to 5-0 before falling to conference foe Southern Mississippi, another nationally ranked team. They rebounded with victories against Tulane and Houston before losing last Saturday to Alabama Birmingham.

With games remaining against Cincinnati and N.C. State, East Carolina could finish 9-2.

The Pirates could earn a postseason invitation, perhaps to the new Mobile Bowl.

Harris, a junior, is among six East Carolina receivers with at least 15 catches.

He leads the team in yards per catch (16.2) and has 67 receptions for his career.

"Of course, I'd like to touch the ball more," he says. "I know I can play and excel on this level. But we've got good receivers down the line."

At least once a week, Harris checks in with two old friends from the Peninsula District - Penn State cornerback David Macklin and Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick. They regale Harris with tales of the big-time and national championship aspirations. Harris can't help but be envious.

That's OK, Marcellus. Just remember: You, your teammates and university have memories that transcend championships.

David Teel can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com